According to their Facebook page, "Formed in 1965, The Beau Beats became known for their tight musicianship and sparkling harmonies. Influenced by The Beach Boys, The Beatles and many other '60s top groups, they sang at many dances and nightclubs." Although they dissolved in the 1970s, they reunited in 2009 and have recently released a new CD. Bass guitarist and vocalist John Grieco fills us in on the Then and Now...
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An Interview With John Grieco
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
John Grieco (JG): Like so many others kids of my generation, the music of The Beatles and the British Invasion influenced me greatly. We were strongly influenced by The Beach Boys as well as the successful bands of the New York area: Young Rascals, Lovin' Spoonful and a little R&B sans Motown. And let's not forget one of the great doo wop bands from the Bronx, Dion and The Belmonts.
60s: Where and when were The Beau Beats formed?
JG: The Beau Beats were formed in September 1965 in the Northeast section of the Bronx.
The Beau Beats are: Buddy Traina, guitar and vocala; Jack Ricciardi, keyboards, guitar and vocals; John Grieco, bass guitar and vocals; and Mario Trombetta, drums, percussion and vocals.
60s: What was the Bronx rock and roll scene like in the '60s?
JG: I would best the describe the Bronx rock and roll scene of the '60s as filled with many new and exciting bands turning out cover music from the top groups of that time.
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60s: Where did The Beau Beats band typically play?
JG: The Beau Beats played at numerous high school dances and private parties as well as taking part in several battle of the bands contests. The Beau Beats won second place, Professional category, at the prestigious Mount St. Michael Battle of the Bands in April 1967. We participated in many battle of the bands. Some of the bands we played with were The Discords, Five to One Odds, Annie's Little Orphans and The Town Criers. We always finished first or second.
60s: How far was the band's "touring" territory?
JG: The Beau Beats played predominantly in the greater Metropolitan area.
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60s: Did The Beau Beats have a manager?
JG: The manager of the band was Mr. Leonard Ciffone and our equipment Manager was Mr. Fred Perino. We met Mr. Ciffone from an acquaintance of one of the band members. He was very instrumental in getting us gigs early on.
60s: What were the circumstances leading to the band's opportunity to record?
JG: From early on we recorded many of our originals tunes. We released on 45-rpm 'Girls, Girls, Girls' and 'I Need Her Love' b/w 'Spring Affair.'
The flip side of 'Girls, Girls, Girls' was a cover of the Doors' 'Light My Fire' recorded in early 1966 at Bruno Dean records in New Rochele, New York. 'I Need Her Love' / 'Spring Affair' was recorded also at Bruno Dean Records, April 1967. I have the mp3 file of both of these, but sadly the acetate for 'Girls, Girls, Girls' did not survive. There is one 45-rpm copy that Mario Trombetta has but it does sound like an old 45 from 1966!
60s: Where did The Beau Beats record?
JG: We recorded at Bruno Dean Records in New Rochelle, New York. We all sang around "one" microphone, and played our instruments as we played and recorded in mono.
60s: Did The Beau Beats write many original songs? Who was the band's primary songwriter?
JG: The Beau Beats wrote and to this day write many original songs. Our new CD, Now and Then, includes mostly songs written by Buddy Traina, who has been the band's primary songwriter.
60s: Are there any other Beau Beats recordings? Are there any vintage live recordings, or other unreleased tracks?
JG: Yes. On our new CD, there are four additional bonus tracks from a live 1970 performance at The Red Cheetah in the Bronx, New York. The entire performance was made using a single track Wallensack reel-to-reel tape deck located about 30 feet in front of us. The tape remained in the closet of Jack Ricciardi until 2009 when I had the physical tape baked in an Ampec oven in Burbank, California, then converted to digital format at AC/DC Music in Studio City, California.
60s: What year and why did the band break up? What year did you reunite?
JG: The band finally dissolved in the late 1970's and reunited for the first time in 2009 with a live performance in Cold Spring, New York in July 2010. The first 11 songs on the CD come from that show.
60s: How often and where does the band currently perform?
JG: As the CD says, we will play "Now and Then." We hope to enter the recording studio soon and begin laying tracks for another CD.
60s: How do you best summarize your experiences with The Beau Beats?
JG: A very special magical experience. I have never played with anyone else as I could never top the chemistry the four of us had. I invite you to go to YouTube and enter "Beau Beats." The interview last July 2010 says it all.
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